The efficient and precise storage of electronic data is one of the most important considerations of modern life. Businesses, schools and governments rely upon mass storage in daily operations. Consequently, mass storage systems have been developed to provide persistent and reliable data storage.
A typical storage system may include a computing appliance operatively coupled to mass storage devices connected according to various communication protocols. A computing appliance may refer to a programmable machine capable of executing a list of instructions. A computing appliance may include a processing unit which executes instructions and memory for storage of data and execution instructions. A mass storage device may refer to devices for retention of data, including floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, tapes and the like. In conventional storage systems, each mass storage device is housed in an individual receptacle. In order to provide a substantial amount of storage, individual receptacles housing single drives may be placed in a side by side configuration. This significantly increases the overall form factor of the chassis for housing the drives. Efforts to increase the packing density of hard disk drives, thus reducing the overall form factor of a chassis, have been thwarted by current technology limitations, such as lack of sufficient cooling of the drives, vibration issues and rotational vibration transmissibility. Consequently, an improved chassis for housing of multiple drives is necessary.